| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Collected Articles by Frederick Douglass: officials, I arranged with Isaac Rolls, a Baltimore hackman,
to bring my baggage to the Philadelphia train just on the moment
of starting, and jumped upon the car myself when the train was in motion.
Had I gone into the station and offered to purchase a ticket,
I should have been instantly and carefully examined, and undoubtedly arrested.
In choosing this plan I considered the jostle of the train, and the natural
haste of the conductor, in a train crowded with passengers, and relied upon
my skill and address in playing the sailor, as described in my protection,
to do the rest. One element in my favor was the kind feeling which prevailed
in Baltimore and other sea-ports at the time, toward "those who go down
to the sea in ships." "Free trade and sailors' rights" just then expressed
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Heroes by Charles Kingsley: teeth grinned white around his brows; and the feet were tied
about his throat, and their claws shone white upon his chest.
And when he saw Theseus he rose, and laughed till the glens
rattled.
'And who art thou, fair fly, who hast walked into the
spider's web?' But Theseus walked on steadily, and made no
answer; but he thought, 'Is this some robber? and has an
adventure come already to me?' But the strange man laughed
louder than ever, and said -
'Bold fly, know you not that these glens are the web from
which no fly ever finds his way out again, and this down the
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| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Hunting of the Snark by Lewis Carroll: A Bandersnatch swiftly drew nigh
And grabbed at the Banker, who shrieked in despair,
For he knew it was useless to fly.
He offered large discount--he offered a check
(Drawn "to bearer") for seven-pounds-ten:
But the Bandersnatch merely extended its neck
And grabbed at the Banker again.
Without rest or pause--while those frumious jaws
Went savagely snapping around-
He skipped and he hopped, and he floundered and flopped,
Till fainting he fell to the ground.
The Hunting of the Snark |
The fourth excerpt represents the element of Earth. It speaks of physical influences and the impact of the unseen on the visible world, and is drawn from The Contrast by Royall Tyler: JESSAMY
Why, my dear friend, you are not acquainted with
the city; that girl you saw was a--[whispers.]
JONATHAN
Mercy on my soul! was that young woman a
harlot!--Well! if this is New-York Holy Ground,
what must the Holy-day Ground be!
JESSAMY
Well, you should not judge of the city too rashly.
We have a number of elegant, fine girls here that make
a man's leisure hours pass very agreeably. I would
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